Employees are an integral part of any organization. A lot depends on the happiness of your employees. They have the power to make or break your company’s reputation. It is well known how organizations have lost millions due to unhappy employees.

When the world is on the brink of the great depression, it is one of those things which should be in the to-do lists of companies to garner happy employees.

Gallup, the American analytics and advisory company, carried out a survey in more than 140 countries to know the scenario of employee engagement and they have prepared a classification for employees which run as follows;

  • Actively Engaged Employees: Such employees are passionate about what they do and feel connected with the organization. They drive sales with productive inputs and creative ideas and thrust the company’s development.
  • Non-Engaged Employees: Such employees lack a connection with the company and are less passionate about the work they do. This results in poor work performance.
  • Highly Disengaged Employees: This is the dangerous lot as they are quite overt about their unhappiness. They are highly demotivated and most of the time, they are still in the organization just to pay their bills.

Gallup research states that as much as 87% of the employees worldwide are not an active part of the organizations. There is a lot at stake apart from money and it includes;

  • Decreased Productivity
  • Decreased Involvement
  • Loss of Revenue
  • Workplace Accidents
  • Loss of the Company’s Reputation
  • High employee turnover rate
  •  

Before the remaining 13% of the workforce loses motivation to work, below are the things that can be done to maintain a healthy and happy work atmosphere;

An Inclusive Atmosphere

No one in an organization should be neglected due to their age, gender, race or religion. Each employee must feel that he or she is valued in the organization and that their presence and contribution matters. Everyone should get an equal chance to compete healthily for promotions and appraisals without any bias.

Rewards for Work Done

We tend to work even better when what we do is acknowledged. Employees must be rewarded duly for their contribution however minor to motivate them. Companies can keep several reward programs and point system using which employees can be challenged to reach milestones and rewarded on achieving the same. A good performance management system can be a lot of help when it comes to recognizing employees.

Also read: How Rewards And Recognition Help Increase Productivity In Business

Upgrading Skill-Set

A skilled employee is an invaluable asset and the more you can sharpen their skills, the more beneficial it is for the organization. You can arrange for timely upgrading of employees’ skills with various tutorials and certification programs. This helps your organization to stay updated with what’s going on in the market and go hand-in-hand with the trending technologies to stay ahead in the competition.

More Involvement

We tend to work better if we are involved in a better way. Employees feel valued when their opinions are taken into consideration for decision making. So it is advisable to schedule meetings for knowing what your employees think and then come upon a decision considering their views too. Involvement helps in engaging the employees and they tend to be more productive as they come up with innovative solutions to solve the matters at hand.

Salary increments

Money is one of the most important factors in driving the engagement of employees. 46% of the newbies leave the organization in a span of 18 months due to low salaries. Organizations should gauge the performance of employees on a timely basis and if they find that the employee deserves a higher salary, then the due amount should be paid. This makes them feel that the time and effort they are giving doesn’t go in vain. This also reduces the turnover rate of employees and they are more likely to be with your organization for a longer time.

Taking feedback

You should ask employees of what they feel about the work they do, their peers, the supervisors and whether their work-life balance is maintained. Feedback helps in knowing how they feel about the overall work culture. Taking suggestions from employees regarding the operations of the organization makes them feel that their feedback matters. This, in turn, results in the increased output. One-to-one meetings can be scheduled to resolve the disputes arising among the employees and/or supervisors. A sound workplace atmosphere implies increased productivity and revenue generation.

Also read: Tips for using continuous feedback to enhance employee engagement

Team building activities

Humans are a social animal. We tend to work better in groups. You should encourage workplace friendships as it helps in improving the social life of employees. Having friends at work enhances the overall temperament of employees towards their work. It also helps in developing an atmosphere of trust and they are less likely to leave such a workplace.

Volunteering programs

Revenue matters but what satisfies more is a contribution towards the society. It has been found that 93% of employees who volunteer with their organization are happy and they feel good for making a difference. Plan more such social collaborations and involve your employees in such non-profit activities which instill their faith in you.
Listen to your employees. If you find that they are not engaging enough, develop a plan to increase their involvement using the above-mentioned means. Your employees drive your sales and consumers and it is necessary that they stay happy to maintain your overall market impression. You may not be able to provide free food or recreational centers but a healthy and happy workplace is not a far-fetched thing to achieve!